Kerry, Edwards a Positive Alternative

Instead of a convention, George Bush's week in New York was a masquerade ball-a facade put on by extremists, pushing moderates out on stage to mask the special interest agenda that's governed America. Bush has misled America for four years, and in New York he chose to mislead us for four more nights.

President Bush stood by as college tuition soared 35 percent. He broke his promise to increase Pell Grant and he has cut other financial-aid programs, choosing instead to reward his wealthy friends through massive tax cuts. He inherited record surpluses, a balanced budget, and steady job growth, and he squandered them away.

Under Bush, young people have the highest unemployment rate in the United States: 12 percent, more than double the national average. President Bush has also failed with his policies abroad, alienating allies when we needed them most. He misled the American people to sell the war in Iraq and irresponsibly sent citizens overseas to fight without a plan for winning the peace.

Fortunately, John Kerry and John Edwards' plan to make America stronger at home and respected in the world offers a positive, alternative vision to get our country back on track.

Kerry and Edwards have a plan to expand opportunity in jobs, education, and health care through an agenda that will benefit all Americans, not just the very wealthy. They will make it easier for students to afford college by offering a fully refundable College Opportunity Tax credit on up to $4,000 of tuition for every year of college and offering aid to states that keep fees down. They will create high-paying jobs by cutting taxes for businesses that create jobs here instead of overseas. Instead of deficit spending that forces us to mortgage our future away, Kerry and Edwards will make Washington live within a budget to prevent young Americans from having to pick up the tab later on.

Kerry has pledged to free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil by exploring new energy sources and ensuring that resources such as coal and natural gas are used more efficiently and cleanly. Under their leadership, we will launch a new era of alliances to better respond to the threat of terrorism, and we will modernize the world's most powerful military to meet new threats. We will deploy all that is in the United States' arsenal, using diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power and the appeal of our ideas to prevent a new generation of terrorists from emerging.

Kerry and Edwards will end the backdoor draft that is keeping thousands of reservists overseas for months and years at a time, and they will honor our veterans by providing adequate pay and increased benefits.

This November, young Americans face a clear choice over the direction of our country and the kind of leader we want at the helm. Over the past four years, we have been misled by President Bush and his administration.  We have seen what they do when they have power. President Bush had his chance, and he has not led. John Kerry and John Edwards will.

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